In a landmark celebration of innovation, six visionary young researchers from the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) were honored today with the prestigious Technology Transfer Commercialization Small Grants by the National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST).

The awards ceremony, held at Sunbird Capital Hotel in Lilongwe, recognized innovative agricultural technologies developed by LUANAR’s brightest minds. The awardees include five innovators from the LUANAR Bio-innovation Lab; Gift Liwonde, Lameck Jailosi, Leadson Ganunga, Khumbo Pute, and Chifuniro Kalawang’oma alongside Peter Mchikho from the AGRERA platform team.

Collectively, these innovators secured a staggering MK 17.8 million in grants—the highest amount awarded to any single institution at the event reinforcing LUANAR’s leadership in agricultural innovation. Their technologies, identified as high-impact solutions for Malawi’s agricultural sector, exemplify the university’s core values: Knowledge, Innovation, and Excellence.

Speaking at the ceremony, LUANAR’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Associate Professor Agnes Mwangwela delivered remarks on behalf of Malawian universities, emphasizing the critical role of academia in driving transformative innovation.

She said universities are the engines of progress, and the awards demonstrated how research can translate into real-world impact.

“LUANAR remains committed to nurturing innovators who will shape the future of agriculture in Malawi and beyond,” she said.

To ensure the successful commercialization of these technologies, the awardees will collaborate with LUANAR’s Directorate of Research and Outreach (DRO) and the Centre of Excellence in Transformative Agriculture Commercialisation and Entrepreneurship (TACE). These teams played a pivotal role in securing the grants and will continue supporting the innovators as they transition from lab to market.